Guide to the Hugh H. Wilson U.S. Civil War papers, 1862-1868

Biographical Note

Hugh H. Wilson was a resident of Sumter District, South Carolina. He owned several slaves (at least) and ran a farm or plantation with them. In the summer of 1862 he began to court Mary Grier (or, at least, one letter has a pencilled-in notation by the name "Mrs. Grier": "Our grandmother"), a resident of Cheraw. In October, Mary and Hugh were married.

In the meantime, Hugh Wilson was searching for an appropriate position in the South Carolina army. Concerned with various possibilities of the Conscription Act and its Exemption Bill, Wilson sought a position either in medical or commissary work. Exploiting a family connection with the Witherspoon family, he finally became quartermaster sergeant on the staff of Col. James H. Witherspoon, 8th Regiment of the South Carolina Reserves, assigned to coastal defense.

That Wilson survived the war is attested by a letter written in 1868. An oblique reference in a letter written in 1874 seems to indicate he was living in that year. The course of his subsequent life is unknown.

Scope and Contents

The letters of H.H. Wilson consist of 21 autograph letters with 7 drafts for the letters. In addition, a letter of January 3-4, 1864, is preserved in an undated newspaper clipping, and there is a letter of 1874 written to Mrs. Wilson on the death of her child by Betty M. McLeod. With the exception of one letter, written in 1868, all of Wilson's letters cover the period from 1862-1864.

Many of the letters are courtship letters. They contain much information on the aspirations and attitudes of the South Carolina upper classes. In addition, Wilson pays special attention to hospitals and medicine, schools, and cemeteries. Some material is contained in the letters which pertains to camp life and the military. Much of the material concerns the problem of conscription.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This material is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Hugh H. Wilson U.S. Civil War papers must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Hugh H. Wilson U.S. Civil War papers, 1862-68, MS #125, Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University]

Acquisition Information

Gift of Mrs. Hardin Craig, Jr. (granddaughter of Wilson), 1956.

Processing Information

Finding aid prepared by John Fowler, 1978.

Detailed Description of the Collection

Correspondence Index

This index is primarily topical. Persons whose full names are given--or who are obviously related to clearly identifiable persons--and military personnel of the rank of major or higher, are listed as well.

Place names occur mostly in itineraries of travel (most of which can be found under the heading: "railroads,"); those few places which cannot be disregarded are indexed.

All entries refer to finished letters. In cases where the draft contains information not found in the final letter, the date of the letter and the symbol "d" are listed.